Monday, 21 March 2011

Update on the SUSTE-TECH project.

To date, the SUSTE-TECH project has recruited 15 institutions. It has received

10 completed tools with 14 accompanying Action Plans from 7 Y&H, 3 Welsh and 5 South West FHE institutions. The participants are a mixture of 10 HE & 4 FE institutions with one participant offering both HE and FE courses.

The 10 Suste-IT tool results indicated that Servers, PC’s and Networksare the main consumers of ICT related energyfollowed by Imaging and to lesser extent :HPC’s, Telephones and VC equipment.

Each of the institutions, regardless of size, are experiencing similar ICT related energy use problems and are choosing to avail of the same types of sustainable solutions.

11 institutions are decommissioning, virtualising, or consolidating their servers or even moving servers off site altogether.

14 institutions are tackling their PC & monitor energy consumption by replacing them with Thin Client technology, installing PC power down, virtualizing their desktops and procuring for greener computers.

In terms of reducing paper use, 7 institutions are either consolidating to MFD’s,introducing charged or code printing orsetting their printers to print double sided by default.

Just 2 institutions are tackling their networks and just one institution has stated they intend on increasing their use of VC and will be addressing their IP phone use to reduce their overall carbon footprint.

However, each of the participating institutions are implementing a “general” energy management system. They are either;

·automating the powerdown or switch off of their various types of ICT equipment,

·are creating awareness of campus wide energy use,

·recycling old ICT equipment,

·procuring for greener equipment,

·auditing and consolidating all ICT equipment thus establishing a baseline of how much equipment is in operation and what their combined power usage is.

In short, they are working towards lowering ICT running costs & reducing waste.

While here has been significant improvement in the past 5 years, there is still huge scope for improvement, with many of the changes being simple “quick wins” that require minimal capital costs.

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Sustainable technology is one of the fastest growing sector in the ICT industry. As ICT use accounts for over 2% of global emissions, finding effective methods of reducing those emissions is of utmost importance.
Procurement and behavioural change in ICT end users will also be examined as research shows they play a significant role in energy wastage.
The SUSTE-TECH project aims to engage with 1/3 of the UK’s FHE’s institutions. In doing so, institutions will have access to valuable resources on sustainable ICT technologies, service providers and will be able to obtain feedback from those who have used the technology.

About Me

Nicola is the sustainable ICT project manager with the EAUC. She is currently managing the JISC funded SUSTE-TECH project. The aim of the project is to examine the energy use of ICT systems in UK FHE institutions (through the use of the Suste-IT tool) and then assist institutions in reducing their energy use through the use of more sustainable technology. While the principle aim of the project is to reduce ICT related energy use, its overarching aims include examining sustainable improvements in ICT design, manufacture and disposal.
The project has recruited 16 institutions from the York & Humberside region and South West and South Wales regions. Each institution has submitted a greening of ICT action plan and/or a completed Suste-IT tool.
By 2012 it is hoped that each institution will have demonstrated a clear reduction in ICT related energy use, reduced carbon emissions and saved money in the process.
Follow her on Twitter : NicICT